CHANDIGARH: A most wanted 'terrorist' evading arrest for the last twelve years was on Sunday arrested by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police from Lali village in Dera Bassi of Punjab.
An active member of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Charanjit Patialavi, has been using different identities and hideouts. Lately, he identified himself as Granthi and was living in a Gurudwara at Kharagpur in West Bengal. He had come to Punjab a few days ago.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (AGTF) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the accused Charanjit Patialavi, was declared proclaimed offender in a case registered against him on July 23, 2010, under various sections of the Explosive Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Police Station Machhiwara. However, Patialavi's other associate Gurmail Singh Boba of Butta Singh Wala village was arrested in this case with detonators and RDX. He later died.
"Patialavi, disguising himself as a Granthi was presently staying in Gurudwara at Kharagpur in West Bengal and was not using any communication device," said Bhullar, adding that different identification cards on West Bengal address have been recovered from his possession.
Further investigation is in process, it may lead to more arrests and important disclosures, Bhullar said
Bhullar said that following reliable information, the AGTF teams led by AIG AGTF Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and DSP AGTF Bikramjit Singh Brar have arrested Patialavi from near Gurudwara at village Lali in Dera Bassi.
An officer on condition of anonymity said that Patialavi had come to Dera Bassi in Punjab a few days ago as he had some personal work mostly likely his daughter was to get married at his village Butta Singh Wala which is near Banur in Patiala. Before shifting to Kharagpur in West Bengal he was working as a granthi and staying in different gurdwaras in other places of Bengal and prior to that he was in Jharkhand.
Charanjit alias Patialavi was an active member of the BKI terrorist module which was busted by the Punjab Police in 2010 for its involvement in the Shingar Cinema Ludhiana bomb blasts in 2007 and other blasts at Kali Mata Mandir, Patiala and Ambala in 2010. All the other associates of Patialavi were arrested in 2010 by the Punjab Police.